Tales of Ratatosk
by SassySquirrel
Summary: Ratatosk started missing the world after returning to his duties. However, another adventure lands on his doorstep, as if in answer, and he's whisked away in trying to solve the opening rift problems.
1. Deep in Thought

On the outskirts of an island; Watching the tides roll and froth at the sand, was a blonde who looked no older than 18. His ruby eyes held an age that betrayed his youthful face however. The three stones behind him stood tall as the seal, that led to the other worldly gate, lay at its feet. Shimmering and glowing, casting its light onto the stones. The male needed out and away from his post; however, there was no true way to escape this island. Except to just sit there in the sand and enjoy the small breeze that played at his hair, and taking in the scent of the ocean.

For days he had done this. He knew his duty laid up in the Ginnungagap and in front of the gate to Niflheim. He knew he should not be wasting away his days, watching the ocean and being deep in thought. That inexplicable truth remained. He missed traveling and seeing the world though. The world held so many curiosities that made the world worth looking at again. Before he had gotten so tired of seeing the world, he shut himself from it. Now that the world was new, the people who are in it are new, he wanted to see it all again. What cruel Irony was this?

He was sure all of his friends by now were all middle aged and were leading honest lives. They all probably had Families of their own now. Not that, that bothered him any. He just felt like he was missing it. He was missing everything because he couldn't keep his mourning and grief from killing one innocent life. If he had to compare this to anything, he could say that he felt like someone decided to ground him. Ground him with the task of rewriting the world's laws and preventing the gate from opening up any further. The dull ache in his chest was a reminder of this. That someday the gate would open and release its hell.

He sighed. He should return and continue working on said laws. He stood up from his spot and brushed the sand off his clothes. He gave the ocean one last look. He would have turned away and went to the seal, had his vision not caught attention to a ship aimed in the direction of his island. Either those people on the ship were very lost, or they had some unsaid reason for coming this way. He gave a sour look and headed up to the seal, not heeding the ship any of his attention. Why should he worry about it? After he entered the seal, those idiots wouldn't be able to enter even if they tried. They would need either his or the centurions consent. All of which, weren't going to supply such consent.

He vanished to the other side of the seal, and the seal itself closed behind him. He made his way up to the top of the Ginnungagap, ignoring the monsters that greeted him on his ascent. Once there, in the garnet colored chamber, he went back to work on revising the laws.


	2. Seeking an Audience

I've come on this epic journey to brave the seas and meet with the self proclaimed Lord of Monsters, Guardian of the Ginnungagap. I've come to ask of his assistance in saving the world from great peril. Here I kneel, in front of these weird stones, crying. Yes, I'm crying.

"Nelly, I can't! What was I thinking? Somebody put me on a stake and burn me. Why did we come?"

Okay by far this isn't my most elegant outlook on my life, but can anyone blame me? I get appointed by the king to find a conclusion to closing these rifts, and catching the man behind them, and I ran all over the world asking assistance from Summon Spirits of all types. Only to have them all tell me 'I'm not the summon spirit you should be asking. The Summon Spirit you are looking for goes by the name of Ratatosk.' Why did it have to be Ratatosk, of all Summon spirits? Why?

From what I've read in texts, he's this ruthless guy who has a temper hotter than the hottest pockets in Niflheim. Honestly, how did he even get classified as a Summon Spirit? Did he cheat on his physical examination test or something? I've even heard rumors that he's killed 1,000 men in one go. 1,000! That's too much for me. I'd rather stay in bed and quake in my boots.

But so, here I am, bawling my eyes out because I'm scared. As my personal maid, Nelly, sighs and shakes her head at me.

"Miss Lilia, I do believe the king would be very disheartened to hear of your passing on a cross, than by Ratatosk's hand. The scripts we found were all old scripts and rumors are rumors. Perhaps we should not judge him without meeting him?" she inquired. This is why I love her. She knows how to make me right in the head sometimes, even it seems impossible to.

"Right." I wiped the tears away and tried to not look like a gross mess. I am going to meet the Lord of Monsters after all. "Nelly... Quick question. How do you get in?"

She looked around a bit before answering "I think we ask out loud that we seek audience with him and our reason why"

"Yes, because pretending I'm some damsel in distress on a stage, screaming to air, will certainly get someone's attention. I'll go quick make an appointment with the psych ward."

"Perhaps, if you weren't so pessimistic about this, Miss Lilia?" It was my turn to sigh

"Fine, I'll try it, but only because you suggested it." I took a depth trying to fight away the feeling of embarrassment, and said loudly "I request the audience of the Summon Spirit Ratatosk, regarding on the rifts that have been created recently by an unknown man." Who feels stupid? I feel stupid.


	3. Decision

So maybe he should have greeted the guests when he was still outside. Here Tenebrae floated, in front of him. Telling him what, apparently, a girl outside screamed. It was relayed that she requested audience from him pertaining rifts. Rifts weren't something he could ignore since they are miniature doors to Niflheim, but why would someone create them on purpose? He signaled Tenebrae to allow the annoyance up into his lair. Who knows, might satisfy his lack of amusement that he's been having. Richter is not at all amusing.

The two humans sauntered in to the room, clearly awed by the place just like how Richter and Aster were when they came, and took their place a well distance away. At a quick glance, the darker skinned of the two with black hair and chestnut eyes, seemed to be the more collected of the two. The smaller one, with tanned yellow skin and auburn hair with hazel brown eyes, clearly had an emotional breakdown before entering. The smaller one spoke up.

"U-Um... My name is Lilia Linet and this is my maid, Nelly Sand, and... Well..." Her voice died out. It would seem that she was very nervous. He was trying to be patient but that was starting to become hard. Until the maid spoke up.

"There have been rifts popping up near towns and villages and we were able to single out the source of these rifts. A man who, at this present time, is unknown to us. We come here asking if you could help us close the rifts and catch the culprit in question." She held no nervousness in her voice unlike the other.

He really had no time to run around and close them and if they are being forced open... Well, he would have to make it a priority to do some day. It was the perfect excuse to get away from the island for awhile, take care of the issues, come back and finish rewriting the laws. The only issue was he didn't know if he was ready. He yearned to leave, but now that the opportunity was there. Did he actually want to? He would cast a glance to Richter, to see what the red head thought, but that would mean admitting that he was currently indecisive on this matter. Luckily for him, Richter spoke up before he did.

"I get the sense that you have visited other Summon Spirits on this matter?" Lilia looked surprised

"How did you know?"

"You look like you cried before coming here, and knowing Ratatosk's record, I don't have to ask why." Ratatosk was going to murder the red head for that.

"Oh... Yes. We asked other Summon Spirits on this matter." She paused and shifted "They all referred us to Ratatosk." Why are they talking about him as if he's in a different room? He's right freaking here.

"I don't see why Ratatosk would object to helping."

"Wha- Richter, who died and decided that you know what I would and wouldn't do" His temper flared slightly.

"Do you have a reason to object?" he asked slyly

"Stop being a smart ass about it, You know I have to rewrite the laws of the world"

"You said so yourself that they were going to take a long time to rewrite, and what good is rewriting the laws when, by the time they are done, everything will be dead thanks to the demons in Niflheim." Richter had a point. Richter always had a point when his head isn't shoved up his ass.

"Tch. Fine. I'll close the rifts." He stood up from his spot and strode past the two females "Watch the gate Richter. Do anything stupid when I'm gone and I'll throw you in Niflheim myself" Though Ratatosk didn't see it, Richter gave a rare small smile as he watched the girls run out after Ratatosk.


	4. The Silent Voyage

It was easy. Too easy. They were allowed in. Asked for help. And though it took a bit, he agreed.

That was the other thing. In texts she read about him being powerful, scary, dominating, and... Everything he isn't as far as she could see. She kept asking Nelly if she was dreaming. She knew that the Summon Spirits were gifted with either odd or enchanting looks, but nobody said they could look like teens and be hot about it too! And she wasn't going to admit that she wished that Richter, or whatever his name was, came along too.

There was one small thing that she disliked already about Ratatosk. His ability to ignore every question she's thrown at him. She asked him lots of things. How the Ginnungagap came to look like that, why did he have to rewrite the worlds laws, why does he look like a teenager, and things along those lines. The only response she got was a glare here and there. Nelly came over and told me if she could possibly restrain herself from asking, seeing as how she was annoying our only chance to closing the rifts.

About two hours more of silence on this ship, waiting to make port near Meltokio, and the signs of her starting to go nuts were appearing. Nelly and Ratatosk were too silent for her taste. Far too silent. Does anyone communicate or talk anymore or does every one stare out at the open sea. It's bad enough she spent a couple of hours like this, but they still had a days left of ship travel before they made port. Did either of them have anything to say?

"Are we giving each other the silent treatment? Because anymore silence is going to kill me" Lilia had to ask.

"Good, we would be rid of your annoyance." Ratatosk stated without taking an eye off the ocean.

Well so much for trying to make some kind of small talk. If this is what working with him was going to be like, someone can gratefully fire Lilia now. So another two hours went by without talking. The sun was starting to go down by this point. An aggravated sigh of boredom left her.

"Aren't you at all curious where the rifts locations exactly are? Not to mention you're going to be surprised that this world isn't the same as it was back then." He side glanced at me

"Nelly said 'near towns and villages' and I know what the world looks like. I don't live under a rock." He flicked his eye back to the ocean.

"But after the world merged it-"

"It was put back together differently. I said I already know what the world looks like." He restated.

"Perhaps it would be wise, Lilia, if we don't assume he doesn't know and just ask if he knows." Nelly said kindly, trying to rectify the situation a little.

She gave up. She got up from her seat and walked off to her given room on the ship and flopped onto her bed. Giving off a whine of defeat she decided to turn in. Hopefully tomorrow would be better.


End file.
